


Wait

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Goodbyes, Long-Term Relationship(s), Marleyan!Reader, Multi, gender neutral reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29062338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: There is little time left before the grand play begins. You want to see Lara.
Relationships: Lady Tybur/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	Wait

**Author's Note:**

> Am I in love with a character who had two lines and died?  
> Yes  
> Thanks for the name, Mappa  
> Since no one is going to provide me with the content I want, I'll do it myself.

Liberio looked more lively than you had ever seen it – not that you had a lot of chances. It usually had been some strange world at the other side of the fence, the one that had no place for a pure-blooded Marleyan such as you, the one that even could be dangerous if you broke the rules and went inside. That what your parents used to say at least. How was it? "Demons live here. If you misbehave, they will eat you". You believed it until you were five or so.

It turned out to be completely normal. Right now, with the festival going on, you could easily mistake it for any other area, as well as mistaking an Eldian or a Marleyan. They all looked quite human to you.

You knew there was no real difference anyway for a long time now. Mostly an invented one – when learning that somebody was en Eldian, people would imagine all sorts of things, their minds playing stupid, sometimes even absurd tricks.

...Many of them probably will be dead in a few hours. And this lively place will turn into a graveyard.

Was there really no other way? Was Willy's plan worth it? You truly did not know. Your dear friend had a way of presenting things since you were little kids, and this time was no exception. When he talked about it, carefully explained it to you, it did sound as something that should be done. But now, standing there and seeing everything with your own eyes, you were having doubts. Surely there must be some other way. You wished there had been one, but it was too late to turn back now. He had already decided everything. The roles were set, the play was about to begin.

You should not have come here in the first place. It was dangerous. To you, to the carefully calculated plan. If the public saw you being close with Lara today, the whole cover would be blown. Not that you were not used to it, not that she was not. It was going to work. Just a few minutes. Your pitiful part was to sit and wait in safety, then say a grand sorrowful speech in front of the ambassadors the next day, so that everything would seem even more tragic. Wait this whole evening in a safe and guarded place, at home, while your friend died and your beloved fought. No right to complain, and still you hated it.

You wanted to see Lara.

No, that's wrong.

You _needed_ to see Lara.

Just for a few minutes before everything goes to hell. It will do absolutely nothing, no help to any of you, and yet every part of you screamed that it was the only thing you had to do. Perhaps it was just a habit toying with you – with the curse of thirteen years the two of you always tried your best to steal every possible moment together, be it late night talks, midday walks or literally anything else. Sometimes you and Lara would simply silently stay beside each other and watch Willy's noisy children wreck chaos in the living room. You loved all these pieces, you loved them dearly and treasured more than anything else in this world.

"Let me through. This is important"

Had you been any other person, it would have been impossible to get to the backstage. Had you been just an ordinary family friend, it would have been ten times harder. But with your position in Marley, shiny and important, half-inherited though, you could get nearly anywhere.

Willy was preparing. You did not need to look twice to see how nervous he was. Not just nervous, afraid.

Lara stood in shadows. Upon seeing you she looked surprised – her face remained calm, but you could read her real emotions by looking into her eyes. The surprise then changed – she was happy to see you, you knew that.

Was there really no other way?..

"Y/N?" Willy seemed startled for a moment. Then he sighed. "Why are you here? We talked about it"

You really did seem childish to him right now, huh? Not a problem. You seemed childish to yourself as well. An impatient brat, who could not play their role to the fullest and decided to change a few lines for the sake of their own amusement.

"I know. It is only for minutes. I'll take my leave soon"

You did not want to. You wanted to stay, dangerous or not, you wanted to be there, with them, both of them, dammit. But it was childish. A plan was a plan. You needed to follow, no matter how hard it sounded.

"Do what you came for then", he managed a smile, and you managed one in return. None of you felt like smiling.

When you walked past him, he whispered:

"Be there for Finne tomorrow"

"I will, I already promised you. She's my goddaughter. I'll always look after her"

A pause. Willy looked you in the eyes. The last time you were seeing each other. A whole lifetime left behind.

"Thank you"

With that you parted. You could still feel his eyes on you, while you went to his sister. Was he trying to remember you as you were trying to remember him? Going through the moments of your childhood and adulthood together, good and bad?

You and Lara silently left the soldiers and hid in one of the dark corners with no people in it. There was barely any need for words, not now. When you approached, she simply walked towards you and gestured to a place, where the two of you could steal a few minutes alone.

It kind of reminded you of all those grand evenings you had to attend. As teenagers you two would occasionally sneak out and hide somewhere, away from all the guest and their useless chat, making a boring evening much more exiting.

There was nothing exiting now.

"You should not have come"

"I know that"

"I am glad you are here"

Gently you took her hands in yours. Steady and cold, she always had cold hands. You loved them. Gentle and beautiful, yet hiding power you could not even fully comprehend. The power that will be revealed to the world today, that will be used for its original purpose for the first time in many years.

Were those the hands of war?

"I needed to see you. Before everything. Probably won't be able to sit through this night without it" you cracked a pained laugh. "I sound selfish, don't I?"

"No. You do not" she shook her head. "I wanted you to come. Even for a few minutes"

"Good thing I can read minds then"

"You cannot"

You kissed her hands. A long kiss, to remember what they feel like. You were parting for one night, yet you felt like an eternity soon would be between you and her. A horrible feeling. Let this night pass soon. This plan, this charade.

"I try my best to read yours"

Lara shook her head again, a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.

"Trust me, Y/N, you do not want to know all the things I know"

All those titans secrets, yes. It probably was hard to live with them. A heritage of mysteries, battles and sins. You could not imagine – a mere human. You wished you could make it easier for her, you really did, in any way she'd like. But you could not. Not today at least.

Quietly Lara cut the remaining space between you and rested her head on your shoulder, her soft hair tickling you neck.

It would be great to stay like this forever. With the very concept of time disappearing and the two of you being left to an eternity, no need to trouble yourselves over plans, war and Paradis. No words, no people, nothing, just the two of you.

Yet the clock continued to tick.

"It will begin soon" Lara said quietly, squeezing your hand. Different today, you felt it. She was afraid too. And just as her brother continued to remain composed. So brave, both of them. "You should go"

She was right of course. You had your own role, and that role required you to be far away from this place.

"I know" you whispered, begging stupid time to go slower. "Lara... Please, survive"

Over the course of last days you came in terms with Willy's death – as much as that was possible.You knew it was going to hurt like hell, that there was no way to prepare for it. But you were going to endure. For him in the first place. For Finne. For other children.

But if you lost Lara...

Hell would seem like a very nice place.

You knew you would stop caring for Marley and Paradis, for Marleyans and Eldians altogether. For war and peace. All of it would seem irrelevant.

"I will" she promised. "And you wait for me"

Of course. Night or eternity, you were going to wait.

"I will"

And with a quick kiss, more a brush of lips you had to part. Forcing yourself to let go of her hands, you turned to leave. If you stayed a tiny bit longer, you were never going to leave, no, it would be impossible.

Before the last step you looked at Lara and Willy one last time. Everything was going to change this night. A new era was coming. A horrible, bloody era. And you could only pray that you would not be facing it alone.

Liberio seemed lively.

While walking away from the stage, your guards tailing behind you, probably being annoyed to death that they had to do a trip this late with no real meaning, you caught a girl, running past you, by her shoulder. Was she serving drinks that evening? Probably, a familiar face. Yes, you thought you remembered her greyish hair.

"I need help with something. Come with me"

"B... Yes, of course"

She was going to miss the play. There was no way she could refuse a Marleyan of your status. It probably seemed unfair to her, being forced to skip the entertainment to do some unknown task, while her friends were enjoying themselves for the first time in many months. But it was for the best. You could not stop it, but you could at least save this one small life.

You should have stopped it. You should have convinced Willy to do something, anything else. All of this, it was not worth it.

You and the girl continued to walk in silence. Liberio was left behind. With you she could easily leave, no guards saying anything at the exit.

The play began, distant sounds of it still reaching your ears.

"Excuse me..." the girl said, cutting herself mid-sentence.

"How da-" one of the guards started to speak, but you simply waved at his words, dismissing him.

"It's fine, let her speak" you did not mind hearing somebody's voice right now. It was better than to be lost in your own thoughts. "What did you want to say? Don't be shy"

"Are you alright?"

"Huh?" you looked at her, surprised. Why this question of a sudden?

"You are crying"

Slowly you raised your hand to your face. Wet.

Indeed, you were crying. Why? Just why? Nothing happened yet, and still you could not stop those tears. Just like when you were a little kid, they kept falling and falling, no use in trying to hide them.

How embarrassing. To cry like this in front of some kid.

There should have been some other way. You should have found it.

Yet you had not.

"I am" you simply said. "It's been rough couple of days lately. Must be the stress"

From now on all days were going to be "rough". There was no going back.

You waited.


End file.
